terça-feira, 26 de agosto de 2008

We give thanks for all the short-term mission groups that came to support the ministry here this summer: St. Michael's Lutheran, Ft. Meyer's, FL (VBS and support in Palmar Arriba); St. Luke's, Frankenmuth, MI (MOST Medical and Dental for children with disability); St. Paul's, Lakeland, FL (VBS in Santo Domingo); South Wisconsin District/Bethesda/LCMS World Relief and Human Care (learning trip for support and commitment to the mission work in the DR).

We give thanks for the opportunity for Pastor Walter and pastoral student Willy Gaspar to go to the Internation Lutheran Council meeting for Latin America. We give thanks for this opportunity to be able to share ideas, learn, be encouraged and give Willy the experience to see the work of the Lutheran Church in the world, not just on our little Caribbean island!

Willy and Joseph will begin their vicarage assignments in September. Pray for them as they start their house church in their communities of Las Americas and Los Minas, respectively. Pray that the Lord would prepare hearts and open doors, for wisdom, guideance, perserverance, passion, leadership, a servant's heart, and proteccion from the enemy as they carry the Word of Salvation to their friends and neigbors.

Santa, Willy's wife. We pray for their ministry together and as she leads a weekly devotion and prayer for the employees where she works. We pray that the Lord would protect their marriage and family as they balance their time and resources between their secular jobs, their children, each other and the ministry.

The church that is forming in Santo Domingo out of the Lutheran Bible Institute.

The Deaconess program that is in formation and set to begin this Fall.

The church in Santiago that we will be beginning this Fall. Pray that we find a place for worship and that the Lord would put the plans for the church before us.

We give PRAISE and THANKS the Lord called Ricardo Santos to study to be a pastor. Pray for his classes with Pastor Walter.

The youth of Palmar Arriba. Pray that they Lord would strengthen them as they teach Sunday School and reach out to other youth in the community. Pray that the Lord would provide workers for the Harvest.

CONANI, the orphanage for children with developmental disability. Pray that the government leaders would open doors for the IMPACT project to bring the children a better life. We give thanks that churches want to share Jesus with the children.

Pastor Walter, who is teaching classes to the pastoral students and mentoring them. Pray for wisdom, vision, and that he be encouraged daily by the Word to be able to serve the students and members.

Danelle, who will be formalizing and facilitating the new deconess program and developmental disability activities. Pray for organization, wisdom, boldness, and swift feet to carry out the plans made.

Carlos, our new music volunteer, who is teaching rythmn and guitar in the churches. Pray for him as he is adjusting to the DR, learning Spanish and beginning his classes.

Pastor Walter and Ana, that the Lord would strengthen their marriage and that Ana can continue to adjust well to life and ministry in the DR.

Our strategic planning meetings on September 5th and 6th. Pastor Walter, Ana, Danelle and Carlos will meet to plan for 2009 and into the future.

terça-feira, 20 de maio de 2008

As a means to reach out to people with DD and their families we have started a community-based Bible Club called, “Amigos de Jesus”. Once a month volunteers from the local community of Licey share a Bible story, play games, sing, pray, have a craft and snack. The participants and parents have so far been thrilled with the activity. The vision behind the clubs is that they are led by volunteers in the community where the children with DD live. Currently we have four leaders for the Licey Club. We meet once a month for planning and training. They became leaders knowing that they would be leading the group in the future on their own. Up to 8 children and youth plus their parents have participated in the activity and are learning about Jesus’ love for them and His plan of salvation for their lives.

Dominican Childcare and MANIDI (the Association of Mothers of Children with Disability)We have partnered with two local Christian non-profits, Dominican Childcare and MANIDI, to help share the Word of God with children an youth with DD and their families. These two organization serve a combined total of approximately 440 families in the Santiago area. They weekly visit the homes of children and youth with DD and provide educational and rehabilitation services for them. In 2007 we worked with Dominican Childcare in providing spiritual life training to 40 members of their staff with the purpose of them sharing a Bible lesson with the children and a family member each week they visit their home.This year in 2008, we are providing spiritual life training to the MANIDI workers to be able to do the same to the youth they visit weekly. We are also providing parents with spiritual guidance and helping to teach them how to be faith formers in the lives of their children. This is being accomplished at monthly MANIDI parent’s meetings. In sharing God’s Word with the parents and empowering them to share Jesus love and forgiveness with their own children.

CONANICONANI is the National Council for Children and Adolescents. CONANI has two large homes for children with DD. Unfortunately, many of these children have been abandoned at birth and there is no record of family, they have had to be taken out of abusive homes, or some families simply can not take care of their child with DD because of economic hardships. There are 140 children total in the Santiago and Santo Domingo homes. Through Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services and IMPACT, in collaboration with CONANI, we are working to establish a pilot project of group homes and family reintegration for the children. We are still in conversation with CONANI regarding the formation of the project.

The relationships made so far in the formation of the project, have opened the doors for our church to share the Word of God with the children in the home. So far, friends and church members have just visited the children in the homes. We spend time with them and sing songs about Jesus. We hope to establish soon a regular ministry where we can more effectively teach them about Jesus and His love for them.

The developmentally disabled (DD) are a marginalized population in the Dominican Republic. There are virtually no government services for people with DD as far as orientation and trainings for family or special education for children. What services that do exist are provided by private and non-profit organizations. This marginalization is mainly due to a lack of education and understanding of the developmentally disabled. We believe that our Lutheran Church, through the training of Christian laity in outreach ministry to persons with DD, can be a catalyst and leader in bringing about an understanding of persons with DD and help to bring an integration of the person into society and, most importantly, into faith and the Body of Christ.

quinta-feira, 15 de maio de 2008

In 2005, God miraculously brought together dentist Willy Gaspar and Jim Pressnell, ex ditector of Central American Lutheran Mission Society(CALMS). Gaspar and a group of friends and colleagues has seen the film "Luther". They were interested in studing Lutheran theology and wanted to participate in the formation of a Lutheran church in the Dominican Republic. On the day Rev. Walter Trescher Ries Jr. and LCMS World Mission outreach missionary Danelle putnam were installed, Gaspar and a group of 13 came to Santiago from Santo Domingo for the worship service.

Now two years later, Gaspar told the partners how they have seen the power of the Word of God manifested in their marriage and their family life.

Today, Willy is one of three men enrolled in studies with Ries to become a Lutheran pastor for the emerging Dominican Lutheran church body. Willy is envolved in his community in Las Americas (Santo Domingo), about 300 families.

In this picture is a confirms in Santo Domingo (October 2006). The first is Ramon (one of three students), Willy and his wife Santa, Yanela and pastor Ries.

terça-feira, 13 de maio de 2008

Danelle who served six years in Panama, has been sent by LCMS World Mission, at the request of Bethesda Lutheran Home, to serv people with developmental disabilities. Pastor Walter is a church-planting missionary sent to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil.